Russia rejects possibility of any concessions in future peace talks on Ukraine war – ISW
The Kremlin has stated that compromises on the part of Russia are impossible in future negotiations, has denied the possibility of deploying peacekeepers in Ukraine and has rejected the possibility of a ceasefire through negotiations, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) have recorded.
“Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Kremlin officials explicitly rejected making any concessions in future peace negotiations or accepting any US, European, or Ukrainian peace proposals,” the ISW said in its review Friday.
Putin stated during a visit to the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation's Moscow branch on March 6 that Russia does not intend to "give in to anyone" or make any compromises in future peace negotiations. Putin also stated that “Russia must choose a peace option that best suits Russia and will ensure peace in the long-term.” At the same time, the ISW notes that Putin has also declared 2025 the "Year of the Defender of the Fatherland" — underlining Putin's efforts to prioritize militarizing Russian society and rallying support behind Russia's war effort in Ukraine in 2025.
He also stated that Russia "will not give up" its "own" territory in future peace negotiations — likely referring to illegally annexed territory in occupied Ukraine.
ISW analysts also cite statements by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He said that Moscow would not consider any initiatives to deploy European peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. According to him, such actions would be equated to the deployment of NATO forces, meaning that Russia would consider them direct participation of the alliance in the war.
Russian MFA Spokesperson Maria Zakharova rejected the possibility of a negotiated ceasefire and the deployment of European troops to Ukraine on March 6 and claimed that Russia considers any proposal that gives Ukraine a "respite" along the frontline as unacceptable.
In addition, Lavrov stressed that Russia will insist on taking into account the so-called "root causes" of the war, among which he named the end of NATO expansion and security guarantees for the Russian Federation. He said that US President Donald Trump allegedly understands these demands, while European countries ignore them.
He said any peace deal must address the so-called root causes of the war in Ukraine, including guarantees that NATO will stop expanding to "swallow" Ukraine and pose threats to Russia. Lavrov claimed that US President Donald Trump "understands" the need to address these "root causes" while European countries try to ignore them.
Based on the above, ISW experts note that Russian officials are likely to use the suspension of U.S. military aid to Ukraine and intelligence sharing with Ukraine to advance a long-standing Russian information operation designed to falsely portray a Russian victory as inevitable.
In addition, “the Kremlin welcomed a Trump administration official's recent comments mischaracterizing Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine as a ‘proxy war,’ and Russian media portrayed the statement as an admission that the United States is a participant in the war.”